Fuel chute



July 3, 1923.

.1 L. FALK FUEL'CHUTE Filed March 19. 1921 Gum/Q 1 Gnome "of the chute.

Patented July 3, 1923..

unrrno sg'ra'rnis arm: twee;

ao'fiiv L. FALK, or SPOKANE, wAsHiim'ron.

T 0 all'wlzom'itmag concern: Be it known that I, JOHNIJ. Fame-a citizenof the United States, residing'lat Spokane, in Spokane County and Stateof l/Vashington, have invented; certain new and useful Improvements inFuel Chutes, of which the following isa specification.

' My present invention relates 'to iinprovements in fuelchutesdesi'gne-d especially for domestic use, but equally readilyadapted for various purposes, when located in the building wall; Whenproperly located withinan'op'enin'g provided therefor inithe build-.lpplicatio'n filed mai-ch 19, 1921. Serial No. 453,626.

novel features of my invention, the hopperv portion of thechute beingshown in open (position for the'tra'nsfer "of fuel such a .coal, wood,or other material.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View of the chute, showing the hopperopen" in dot- "the two combined ung devlces. 1

ing wall, the chute provides a convenient 1 means for transferringcoal,wood, or other material to the basement of a dwelling or residence, andwhen not in use-fo-r-this purpose,'the chute opening is-"closed and thedevice effectively locked against unauthoriZedor surreptitious openingthereof.

The primary object of the invention is the provision ofa device of thischaracter possessin'g certain meritorious. features and "combinationsand arr'angementsofparts involving means for securely and effectivelylocking the device IIIClOSGd position, and the utilization of one of thelocking members, when the chute is open, for'a shield or guard toprotect the front of the house during coaling operations againstniarring or disfigurement from lumps of coal." The invention alsocontemplates an improved arrangement of extension means, for adjustingthe chute to building walls of various thicknesses, and one ofthe-meritorious featuresof the :invention resides in the construction'of the hinge joint for the hopper or door member The several features ofthe device as improved by me insure'a chute that is simple inconstruction, comparativelyinexpensive in first cost, facile inmanipulation; and one presenting a neat and'finished appearance on itsexterior that will no'tdetract from :thewattmctive orornamentalappearance of the buildingequip-ped with such adevice. Y

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example ofthe physical embodiment of my invention, and a modified form thereof, inwhich the parts tedlines, closed in fullflin'es and-ld'cked at twodifferent places, and showing also in dotted lines the utilization ofare'ariextension'to'the chute.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of Figure dis a perspective viewin miniature, of the inner extens on adaptedfor use with the chuteinthickened building walls.

In the preferred form of the invention-as shown in the drawings; inorder thata clear understanding maybe had-ofthe structure I havedesignated the building wall as l'in which rovisionis made for anopening to accommodate the chutestructura and across the upper face ofthe Wal'l,"above"the' openlng 'a: sill 2, and filler plate 3, of woodareindlcated. The chute structure i's -pla'ced in position the buildingwill before-these "frame mei'nbers are located, ajfter whichthfebuilding franie "including the i-upright indicated at 4: and the sillcourse indicated at I 5 in Figure 2, is erected. The chute body and arepreferably made up of sheet metal, and the chute is providedwith anupper horizontal wall 6 fitting neatly against the under side of the"frame structure supported door hinges and fasten 'ts several members onthe wall 1, fashioned with" an exterior front plate 7 extendingaroundthe rectangular chute openin'gf'At the htop, this plate abuts againstthe sill course 5 forming the bottom finish for the house front, and itsa are combined. and arranged'according to the best'mo'de I have thus fardevised for the practical application of .the principles of myinvention.

side and bottom members are providedwith inwardly extendingy' flanges'7" which fit against the face of the front wall 1 as shown in Figure12, thus effectively closing the space around the-wall opening and mgthe exterior of the chute'a neat and finished appearance. At'the innerf-aceof the building wall, or'within the basement of the house the chutehas anoutwardly 'pro- .105 jecting flange 8- arounditswedges the topmember of theflange engagingagainst the filler plate: 3 'asshown inwFigure 2i y p The side walls 9-0f the chuteebodiy fit against thesidewalls of the opening? 111 the building wall, and the decliningbottom wall 10' of the body restscupon the complern'enout out or notchedcorners of the door, for engagement and co-action with the two hingestraps 16. These straps are of special construction, as seen in Figure3,'and are riveted in vertical position, to the exterior -bar, when thedoor is locked.

have complementary truncated edges 13'. I adapted to seat on the topsurface ofthe chute bottom 10, when'the door or hopper is closed.

Along the lower edge of the door member of the hopper is attached ahinge bar.

14, which, as shown projects in front of the face of the rectangularfront plate 7 in the vtwo lower corners thereof. At 17 each hinge strapis rounded outwardly to form a recess in which the ends of the hinge bar14 may turn,'.and at 18 a vertical, straight, offset is formed belowthis recess to provide a socket for the rectangular ends of the hingenoted that the hinge bar has flattened ends,

I which, when the door or hopper is closed fit snugly in thecomplementary sockets formed between the hinge straps at 18 and thefront plate to-whichthey are attached, while the recess formed by therounded portion 17 of the hinge strap affords suflicient space for theflattened ends of the hinge bar to turn when opening or closing thedoor. Thus, to open the door,.it is bodily lifted until the hinge bar isfree from the sockets 18 and the ends ofthe bar are located in therecesses 17, then the door may be swung open. WVhen closed, the door isswung toward the chute and thenpermitted to fall until the bar ends arefixed in the sockets provided therefor. In thisposition the door is heldin closed relationship to the chute, the fastening being accomplished atthe'lower end of the door 'or-hopper. In addition to thisfastening-means I employ an interior lock for the hopper when in closedposition, which insures close contact with the door and top? member ofthe front plate ,7, and effectively locks the door in closed positionagainst opening from the exterior;

At the; apex. of the triangular side plates of the hopper and extendingtransversely of the hopper, is arranged a fixed latch bar 19, withwhich-co-acts a detent 20swinging from the p1vot'20'on the-under face ofthe top plate 6 of the chute body, near the in- I It will be ner edge ofthe chute body. At its lower free end this detent is provided with-alatch or hook 21 to engage the upper edge of the latch bar 19 when thehopper is closed, as in Figure 2, Thus after the hopper is swung toclosed position within the chute, the freely swinging detent is swunginto engagement with the latch bar 19, and as the latch bar is rigidwith the side plates of the hopper which at their bases extend the fullheight of the door, the entire area of the door is thus firmly held,with its four edges in close con- 1 tact with the front plate 7. Beforethe door can be opened, the detent 20'must be swung out of engagementwith the latch bar to free the hopper, and then after the hopper hasbeen lifted as described, the door may be opened, to swing the hopper inproper position for receiving material. There are two of these hin edadjacent each side of thechuto body as these detents-are connected by anangular metal plate forming a rigid connectionbetween the detents, saidplate comprisingza flange 22 and a narrower flange 23 atright anglesthereto. This angle plate, designated hinged detents, one

escribed, and at their lower freeends as a whole by the number 24 isadapted to form a shield or guard for the wood frame of the house andparticularly the sill 5 as well as the front plate 7 to prevent lumps ofcoal striking and marring these parts- After the detents have been freedfrom the latch bar 19, and as the hopper is swung outwardly to dottedlines in Figure 2 the guard is swung on the'hinges 20' to dottedposition in Figure 2, with the wide flange/or plate 22 standing erect asin' Figure 1 over the narrower flange or plate 23 fitting up against thefront'edge of the'top wall 60f the chute body. As the hopper is swungoutwardly, .the latch bar 19 engages the hooks 21. of the detents 20,and the weight of the hopper, through the bar 19, holds the detents andshield in dotted position as Y the front plate 7 and apart of the sill5, and Y shown. In this manner the shield is retained in place by theweight of theoutwardly swung hopper for performing itsrequiredfunctions.

' In Figure 1 an additional socketxmember 16 is shown attached centrallyof the door,

to the front plate? to support the hinge bar door is in lowered positionand locked, to

when open and'receive the bar 1.4 whenthe insure close contact of thedoor 'with the plate intermediate of the hinge straps 16.

In Figure at an extension 25 isillustrated. which is made up intoangular form from. metal plates, and-this is adap'ted' to be at- .tachedto the inner side of the chutebody,

as inFigure 1 full lines, and dotted lines Figure 2, for use incomparatively thick walls. 1

From the-above description taken in connection with my drawings it willbe apparent that I have provided a coal chute in which the hopper may bemanipulated with facility, effectively locked in closed position, andretained with stability in open position, and which is equipped with.proper means for shielding the surrounding wood work and other partsfrom disfigurement.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is- '1. The combination with a chute, hingestraps co-acting therewith to form upper recesses and lower sockets, anda hopper, of a hinge bar on the lower edge of said hopper, said barhaving angular ends adapted to swing in said recesses but adapted to befixed in said sockets, whereby the hopper may be lifted from lockedengagementof the hinge bar in said sockets, and said hopper tiltedoutwardly and downwardly with said ends in said recesses. 2. Thecombination with a chute and tiltable hopper having a latch bar fixedthereto, of a pair of detents pivoted to the chute the hopper is opened,and said latch bar adapted to engage said detents to hold theshield inoperative position. a p 3. The comb'nationwithga chute having sockets,of a hopper including a door sectlo-n having a hinge bar co-acting withsaid straps as described,sideiplateson saidhop ,1

per, a latch bar connecting said plates, and

an interior locking device on said'chute' for engagement with said latchbar, and an eX- tension. chute secured to the chute proper forthepurpose described. I

In'testimony whereof, ll afiiX my signa ture.

JonNJL}: FALK.

' hingestrapsadapted to form recesses and I

